Defensive Driving
by Cherie Dee
Summary: AU connected to other stories WMM, Realizations, blah blah etc...Misao needs to practice driving and in the process...learns the limits of Aoshi's patience behind the wheel.


I started this a LONG time ago because I wanted to write something light and ongoing…sorta the ups and downs of every day life with the AU RK characters. This was written LONG before Realizations was even ¾ done. I originally started it with the hope of making this just one of a collection of short stories.

Much thanks goes to ChiisaiLammy (who I think goes under a different handle now on who helped inspire this idea – apparently the mundane can be just as entertaining.

And a special thanks to my dad, for without him, my sister and I would have never learned how to drive and had such INTERESTING stories to look back on. (The similarities between this AU Aoshi and my father are apparent enough that my sister picked up on it…)

It's in first person…something I've never really done with this series…

**Defensive Driving**

**Slow into a Turn, Accelerate out of a Turn - Misao**

This is so cool. I actually got my permit. It was in my wallet, in its special place. Next to my money. That's the ultimate special place because…well…nothing goes near my money.

I'm so excited. After spending 30 freaking long hours in driver's ed…(it's SO boring!) and then taking the permit test at the DMV…getting the permit in my hands…and then taking driver's training…I can finally drive! EEEEEEE! Well…with Aoshi in the car. Not that he'll mind. He's wanted me to learn how to drive for YEARS…okay, not years…I'm only 16…but point is, a long time. Now that he's been settled in his new job, it's time for a change.

I had been sitting on my bed watching cartoons most of Saturday morning. It was probably nine-thirty, and since I really was in no mood to sit at home, I wanted to go out. I needed to go to the exchange to get this soundtrack of a movie I saw with Stella and Danielle last night.

I jumped out of bed and put on some blue furry slippers, practically running into Aoshi's bedroom.

He was doing situps on the floor wearing blue track pants and a white T-shirt.

"Hey," I greeted.

He grunted a hello.

Hmm. That meant 'Wait till I'm done'. I know the routine. His morning run is when the sun's coming up, which is INHUMAN, at least to me. Geez. Who wants to run when the crickets are still chirping? Then kempo after that in the backyard. And any…this word sounds SO stupid… 'body-sculpting' after. Like situps. Supposedly, having a firm abdomen prevents internal organs from shifting around and sagging. Abs also support the lower back. So Megs tells me. But I guess Aoshi knew that already. He'd been exercising regularly since high school, thanks to ROTC, and as part of military regulations.

When he was done, he leaned with his back against the bed.

"Yes?"

"I wanna go to the exchange."

"All right…" he said slowly. "Why?"

"I wanna drive and I need to get a CD."

"Is that all?"

I nodded.

"Did you eat breakfast?" he asked.

"Cereal."

Aoshi got to his feet and headed to the bathroom. "Get dressed, cook me breakfast, then we can go."

"Thanks!" I bolted out of his room and hurried into mine, opening the closet so I could get some clothes.

I changed into a red T-shirt that said in white 'Hawaiian Style' with white hibiscus flowers. Then I put on a pleated jean skirt made of really, really, really faded blue denim.

In the kitchen, I decided to make Aoshi a quick breakfast of sausage and eggs. Really simple. I pretty much learned how to cook on my own. Aoshi was away a lot when I was younger, so I have no clue how he learned how to cook. Maybe Jiya. I don't know. Anyway, by the time I was done, Aoshi came into the kitchen, fully dressed in dark blue jeans and a pale blue button down shirt with short sleeves.

"Why the sudden need to drive?" he asked before he began to eat.

"Because I can," I answered.

"Are you sure?"

I crossed my arms. "Oh yeah. I went through the training."

"That doesn't make you a good driver."

"She wouldn't have passed me if I sucked," I argued.

"True…"

"Don't worry, Aoshi," I assured him with a grin. "I have faith in what I learned."

He was quiet for a bit, but I think that's cuz he had food in his mouth.

I was excited. I get to drive! How cool is that?

After Aoshi brushed his teeth, we put on our shoes and opened the garage door. Aoshi sat in the passenger seat of the Legend and I sat in the driver's. I fiddled with the buttons on the driver's side to scoot the chair forward. Aoshi's so tall…my feet couldn't even reach the pedals.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" he asked once I buckled up.

I must have looked like my face was saying, 'HUH?' because he looked at the rearview mirror.

"Oh. Right." I moved it this way and that. "So how do I fix the side mirrors?"

"There's a panel on your left side…above the window controls. Move the switch from the center to your left to control your side. Then move that directional knob…Good."

I did the same with the right side. He handed me the keys, and I turned on the engine. Aoshi's Legend is a 95, not too old. It's 7 years old, but runs pretty well. He doesn't have much mileage on it, since he mostly used it to commute to work, drop me off at school, and stuff. When we were living in DC, we lived in the Navy family housing, and I took the bus to school.

I put the car in reverse.

"Slowly," he warned.

"Relax…"

Once we got on the street, Aoshi closed the garage door. I turned the radio on. Then I put the car in drive and began to drive out of our street. I turned quickly onto our cross street-

"Slow down when you're turning," Aoshi spoke up.

"I wasn't that fast."

"Misao."

I made a blowup fish face. Fine. I'll show him. We were approaching another interaction, that was slightly on a hill, and when I turned, I almost ran into a parked car. Aoshi had immediately grabbed the wheel and shoved it to the left.

"Stop!"

I braked hard, and we both jerked forward. I cringed. That was not going to help.

"What did I say?" He looked like one of those cartoon characters about to explode if the wrong thing was said.

"Um… 'Stop'?"

"Not funny."

Oops. Wrong thing to say.

I tried to remember what he said earlier. "Um…slow down when turning…?"

Aoshi released the wheel with his left hand, turned the radio down and sat back. "We're two blocks from home and you're still making the same mistake. Before we drive on the major streets, you practice here first."

"Okay."

When I made another turn, I think Aoshi covered his eyes with his hand.

"Misao, stop."

I did. With my foot on the brake, Aoshi put the car in park.

"Switch," he said. "I want you to watch me when I'm driving."

So we did switch. And when I watched him make right and left turns, I noticed that he slowed the car down a little.

"Okay, I got it."

So we switched again. And I got better at it. Right turn, right turn, left turn…I grinned.

"Watch your left turns," he said. "You're turning too soon."

"What do you mean?"

"If a car was there, you would have run into it."

I was careful this time around.

"Good."

Hee.

After about thirty minutes, I took us to the major streets. I was doing great. I made my turns like earlier, but when it came time to a left turn…

"MISAO!"

Aoshi had yanked the wheel to the right. I was so surprised I braked.

"Don't stop, there are people behind you." Cars started honking.

I jumped. "Right, right…" I pressed the accelerator. Crap. "Did you see that? That guy was WAY over the line at the intersection."

"You nearly scraped the side of the car with his headlight."

"No, I didn't! He shouldn't be that far out, anyway!"

"Misao."

Ooh, I hate when he does that. Says my name as if to say, 'That's enough.' He can say it different ways, you know. 'That's enough', 'Be quiet', 'You're not making sense', 'I have a headache'…he's got all kinds of different meanings.

When we started to get into the real busy streets, Aoshi had me pull over into a grocery store parking lot so he could take over.


End file.
